Machine for assembling ball-retainers for ball-bearings



Patented Aug. 9, |898.

No. 608,6n.

E. KLAI'IN.

MACHINE FUR ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINERS FOR BALL BEARINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 189B.)

(NoV Model.)

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` E. KLAHN.

MACHINE FOB ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINERS FOB BALL BEARINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 189B.)

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No. 608,6II. Patented Aug. 9, |8981. E. KLAHN.

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINEBS FOR BALL `BEARINGS.

(Application med Apr. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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No. 608,6". Patented Aug. 9, |898. E. KLAHN.

MACHINE FOB ASSEMBLING BALL BETAINEBS FUR BALL BEARINGS.

(Application led Apr. 27, 1888.)

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MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINERS FUR BALL BEARINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1898.)

(N0 Model.) 7 sheets-sheen 5.

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No. 608,6". Patented Aug. 9, |898. E. KLAHN.

MACHINE FOB ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINERS FOR BALL BEARINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1898.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Shaw 6` lli z I Il I Y A A n RNEYS.

No. 608,6". l Patented Allg. 9, |898.

E. KLAHN.

MACHINE FOB ASSEMBLING BALL RETAINEBS FUR BALL BEARINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-.Sheet 7- Tm: adams zum co.. Fanfouwa. WASHINGTON u c B 7 ,4770 NEYS.

llniirnn @rares l Fnrnnrr @ritieni EMIL KLAIIN, OF WEST I-IOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TllE MANU- FACTURERS AND MERCI-IANTS VAREIIOUSE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,611, dated August 9, 1898. Application tiled April 27, 1898. Serial No. 678,981. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it` known thatY I, EMIL KLAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at West H0- boken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Assembling Ball-Retainers for Ball-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for assembling the so-called ball-retainers that are used in the ball-bearings of velocipedes and of which the ball-retainer shown and described in Letters Patent No. 600,311, granted to I-I. l-Iansen under date of March S, 1898, forms the type, and in which a ring having prongs at its inner and outer edges, which are bent toward each other, so as to form retainers for the.antifriction-balls, is shown. i

The invention consists of a machine for assembling the retainer with all the balls by direct automatic action, so as to turn them out quickly and at a considerable saving of time and labor, which machine consists, in its general outlines, of the following instrumentalities: a charging-barrel having vertically-sliding stickers, means for feeding the balls to said charging-barrel, a rotary turret-disk having openings through which the balls for the retaining-rings are successively fed, and a plunger by which the retainerl is pressed over the required number of balls fed by the barrel, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of my improved machine for assembling ball-retainers, for ballbearings, the main 4driving-shaft being in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the entire machine. Figtis a plan view,partly in horizontal section, on line Ll 4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line V 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 6 6, Fig. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a plan view and a horizontal section on line 8 8, Fig. 6, of the charging-barrel and its stickers. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section on the same line as Fig. x6, showing the chargingbarrel in raised position with the balls ready to be inserted into the retainer. Fig. l() is a bottom view of the retainer before filling with balls. Figsll and l2 are a bottom view and a side view ofthe type of ball-retainers that are assembled bythe machine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring tothe drawings, A represents the supporting-frame `of my improved machine for assembling the ball-retainers for ballbearings. The supporting-frame consists of a base-plate a, upright pillars a', and a top plate a2, supported by said pillars. On the base-plate are supported the bearings of the motion-transmitting.shafts by which motion is transmitted to the different operative parts of the machine, there being a center shaft and two side shafts', which are arranged parallel with each other. The center shaft S receives motion `by a suitable belt-and-pulley transmission and transmits this motion by gear-wheels l/V W IW, of equal size, to the side shafts S' S2, as shown in Fig. l. The side shafts S' S3 are provided with cams C C', of the required size and shape forrespectively imparting the properly-timed 'motions to a vertically-reciprocating ball-charging barrel B and'to vertically-reciprocating stickers or lifters f, guided in openings in the barrel B. The shaft S2; transmits p motion by a crankdisk C2 and crank-rod C3 through a fulcrumed pivot-link C4 to a verticallyreciprocating plunger P, that is guided in a sleeve-shaped guide P at the upper end of the machine, said guide being supported by a suitable bracketarm P2, attached to the top plate a2. The main driving-,shaft S. transmits motion by bevel-gears S3v` S4 to a vertical shaft C5, which passes through the top plate a2 'and which carries at its upper end a disk D, that engages, by a iappet-pin CZ', at each full rotation a stop-wheel D', which is pivoted at the center of the top plate CL2 and which carries a turretdisk D2, having a number of openings cl--say, for instance, eight-of a slightly-larger, size than the retainer The axes ofthecharging-barrel B and the vertical shaft C5 are arranged in a vertical plane passing through the center of the machine and are located IOO vertically below diametrically-arranged openings in the rotary disk D2. lVhile the barrel receives a vertical reciprocating motion, the rotary turret-disk receives an intermittent stcp-by-stcp motion, the motions of the charging-barrel, its stickers, the rotary turret-disk, and the plunger being so timed as to take place in proper successive order.

The charging-Dermal.-The chargi ng-barrel is made of cylindrical shape and is guided at its upper end in a'sleeve b, supported from the top plate a2 vertically in line with the barrel B and arranged at the lowermost end of an inclined tray or receiver E, into which the balls that are to be Itransferred to the retainers are placed in large quantities, so that a sufficient number of balls is always ready for being taken up by the vertically-reciprocatingy barrel B. The upper end of the barrel is made conically tapering, with as many holes D arranged equidistant from the center as there are balls to be fed to the retainer. Nhen the retainer is to be provided with eight balls, eight longitudinal holes b are made in the barrel, while when a larger or smaller quantity of balls is used in the retainer a corresponding number of holes has to be provided. The balls iill the space above the charging-barrel B when the same is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 6. As soon as the barrel is raised each hole takes up a separate ball, and it is raised above the remaining balls, as shown in Fig. 9. The conical upper end of the barrel in its upper position (shown in Fig. 9) abuts against the wall of a corresponding recess b2 in the block B', said block limiting the upward motion of the charging-barrel. This motion is accomplished by the cam C on the shaft S2, said cam acting on a pivoted and spring-actuated lever L, that is forked at its inner end L' and pivotcd to links L2, pivoted at the lower end of the charging-barrel, as shown clearly in Figs. 4, G, and 9. In the longitudinal holes b' of the charging-barrel are arranged the lifters or stickers f, which rest on a verticallyreciprocating pusher or block B2, that is guided in the lower tubular portion of the charging-barrel, the shank of said block being connected With the slotted end of a pivoted and spring-actuated lever L3, that is acted upon by cam C on the shaft S, whereby when the charging-barrel arrives at its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 9, the motion of the stickers f is continued by the upward motion of the pusher B2, so that the balls are lifted into a plane with the rotary turretdisk, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. In this position they are ready to be pressed into the prongs vof the retainer R by the action of the descending plunger P, so as to complete the retainer.

The rotary turret-cZt's7t.-Tl1e retainers are charged into the openings of the rotary turret-disk D either by hand or by arranging a special feed mechanism for the same above the disk, so that they are supplied automatically to the openings of the disk. Theretainer is dropped into the charging-opening d and then guided over the intermediate block B, along an arc-shaped guide or rib Il, which extends centrally across the openings, said guide-rib being concentric with the center of the turret-disk. The arc-shaped guiderib o serves for holding the retainers, which are fed prongs downward, in proper position so as to bring each one in the same position vertically over the balls fed through the charging-holes of the barrel B. The arc-shaped guide-rib prevents any shifting of the retainers, and hence the crushing of the same under the action of the plunger. This is an important feature, asl the regular feed of the retainers to the charging-openings and plunger is produced. vVhen one retainer arrives vertically above the balls in the chargingbarrel, the charging-barrel is in raised position and the stickers are raised, so as to bring the balls between the prongs of the retainer. Simultaneously therewith the plunger is lowered, and by the simultaneous pressure of the stickers and the plunger the balls are forced into the recesses of the retainers, the prongs giving sui'iiciently by their spring action so as to take up all the balls at the same time. After the balls are sprungf so to say, into the retainer the plunger is lowered still more, so that the balls are forced in outward direction for assuming their linal position in the retainer, which operation is assisted by the conically-tapering shape of the lower part p of the plunger P. Vhen the balls have been transferred into the retainer and properly centered in the same, the plunger is raised again and the turret-disk moved again, so as to bring the next opening d in line with the charging-barrel, and the complete retainer is dropped along the inclined end o0 of the intermediate block onto an inclined chute` G, over which the same is gradually fed to the successively-completed retainers, one pushing the other forward until they drop over the edge of the chute G into a suitable receptacle. The delivery-chute G is arranged at right angles to the feed-tray or supply-hopper E. (Shown clearly in plan in Fig. 3.) The improved retainers are assembled automatically by the operation described, so as to dispense with the hand-iilling of the same and at the same time produce an evenly-charged ball-retaining device in which every lug or prong is set to the proper position with the same degree of accuracy as can be produced by the most skilful hands.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with a series of openings, cach for receiving a retainer for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of a charging-barrel, stickers guided therein, a plunger, and means for reciprocating the barrel, stickers and plunger, whereby a set of balls is applied to the retainer IOO IOS

Igo

moved in line with them, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of a charging-barrel, stickers guided therein, said barrel and stickers being arranged on one side of said turret-disk, a plu nger arranged on the opposite side, and means for reciproeatin g the barrel,stickers and plu nger, whereby a set of balls is applied to the retainer moved in line with them, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with a series of openings, each for receiving a retainer for ball-bearings, and

l means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of a charging-barrel, stickers guided therein, a plunger provided with a conical operative end, and means for reciprocating the barrel, stickers and plungers, whereby a set of balls is applied to the retainer moved in line with them, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of a charging-barrel, a hopper or tray into which the barrel is guided,stickers guided in the barrel, a plunger, and means for reciprocating the barrel, stickers and plunger, whereby a set of balls is applied to the re` tainer moved in line with them, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with `a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of a charging-barrel provided with a conical upper end, a hopper or tray into which the said conical end works, stickers guided in the barrel, a plunger, and means for reciprocating the barrel, stickers and plunger, whereby a set of balls is applied tothe retainer moved in line with them, substantially as set forth. s

G. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the' turretdisk, of a hopper or tray for containing a quantity of balls, a reciprocating plunger,and means for transferring a set of balls from the said hopper or tray, to the retainer, said plunger coacting with said means of transfer, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, and means for intermittently rotating the turretdisk, of -a charging-barrel, having a hollow or tubular lower end7 stickers guided in the upper part of the barrel, a pusher guided in the lower part of the barrel, and acting on said stickers, a plunger, and means for reciprocating said barrel, pusher and plunger, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with means for supporting a number of retainers for ball-bearings, means for intermittently rotating the turret-disk, and an arc-shaped guide coacting with said turret-disk for holding the retainers in proper position, of means for inserting balls in said retainers held in said turret-disk, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a rotary turretdisk provided with a series of openings for receiving a number of retainers for ball-bearings, means for intermittently rotating said turret-disk, and an arc-shaped guide, under said openings, concentric with said turretdisk, of means for inserting balls in the retainers arranged in the openings in said turret-disk, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as lmy invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL KLAHN.

IVitnesses: PAUL GOEPEL,

GEO. W. JAEKEL. 

